


Lucky Shot

by Eternally_Exhausted



Category: The LEGO Movie (2014)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-23
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:48:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 6,966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26606989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eternally_Exhausted/pseuds/Eternally_Exhausted
Summary: Sometimes, Bennyreallycan't believe his luck.
Relationships: Benny/Bad Cop (The LEGO Movie)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 25





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by [abyssalUpwelling](https://archiveofourown.org/users/abyssalUpwelling)
> 
> This was originally going to be one long oneshot but I have no patience so you get it in parts. C:

Benny was plastered to the window as they approached the space station. He, and a very lucky few others, had been chosen to join the Outpost’s security ranks. The station had been constantly harassed by space pirates for some months now, and were slowly but steadily losing resources. Something had to be done. So Benny and a team of five other pilots (whose names, by some strange coincidence, all rhymed with his) had been hand-picked and shipped off to give the Outpost a hand in hopefully driving off the pirates for good.

Benny was absolutely beside himself with excitement. He’d always wanted to go to space, and worked hard to be able to become an astronaut, but never in his wildest dreams did he ever think he’d get to see the Octan Outpost with his own eyes. It had been affectionately nicknamed the Think Tank, and was a collaborative effort made up of the most brilliant minds from all around the planet. Rumor had it they’d even invented a super-advanced AI, and that was what the pirates were after.

The shuttle pilot’s voice came over the speakers then, instructing them to return to their seats and strap in to begin the docking procedure. Benny did as told, hands clasped tightly in his lap as he vibrated in his seat. It wasn’t long before they were able to board the station. They made their way through the airlock, and Benny nearly froze in place when he spotted his new commander standing on the other side of the door, waiting to greet them.

Benny swallowed hard as he stared. The man was tall and broad shouldered, with soft dark hair, blue eyes, and dressed in a sharp black uniform. “Welcome to Octan Outpost. I’m Chief Security Officer Callaghan, and you will be reporting to me for the duration of your assignment here.” His voice was deep and rough and sent shivers down Benny’s spine.

 _In what universe is it considered fair that The Man Upstairs should make the man of my dreams a reality and then make him my_ boss?!

He jolted back to reality as the others began to walk away, trotting after them to keep up with the tour. Mess hall, barracks, medical ward, labs; they even had a garden where they grew some of their own food. Benny did his best to memorize where everything was. He didn’t want to have to embarrass himself by having to ask for directions because he hadn’t paid enough attention.

(And maybe he wanted to impress his new boss. Just a little.)

The last place they visited was the hangar, where all manner of spacecraft were kept. Benny bit down on a knuckle to keep from squealing in absolute delight, trying to pay attention as the Chief spoke. “I know you all have had little to no training in flying spacecraft, but as you have all shown promise as Earth pilots, the transition from flying in atmosphere to flying in space should be a relatively easy one. I will be overseeing your instruction.”

“Wait, so _you’re_ going to be teaching us how to fly these things?” Penny asked.

“I am, yes. And as we have no way of predicting when the pirates will make another attack, your lessons begin immediately.” Benny was immediately all ears. He listened with rapt attention as the Chief explained the craft’s controls to them. It was complicated, incredibly so, but Benny was determined to memorize it all. He was actually going to learn how to _fly a spaceship!_ The Chief continued talking.

“Once you have completed this course, you will each be assigned your own ship-”

He paused as Benny let out a strange, strangled little sound of glee, giving him a concerned look. The other pilots were also looking at him strangely. He gave them a sheepish grin. “Uh. Can I have the blue one?”


	2. Chapter 2

Benny was slightly disappointed when they didn’t get the chance to _really_ take the spacejets out for a flight- the Chief kept them in the hangar, watching as one by one they went through the controls, maneuvered about the hangar, then touched back down in their spot, just to be sure they had paid attention, and could park their ships again without causing damage to the other ships in the hangar. He was slightly annoyed at the Chief’s insistence on caution, even if he understood it.

Ah, well. They’d been promised a _proper_ flight the next day. Benny sat at the table with the rest of the pilots, earbuds in and playing some relaxing music as he shoveled down his supper. As excited as he was, he wasn’t certain how well he would sleep that night. He could sort of hear the others talking over his music. Seemed he was the favored topic of conversation that night. That was nothing new. His exuberance over flying and space and flying _in_ space had earned him more than a few snide remarks over the years. There was no way their gossip could bring him down tonight, though; he was finally achieving his dream!

“Should’ve heard him squealing in the hangar earlier, like a damn kid in a candy store.”

“They really are letting kids in the program now, aren’t they?”

“I’m twenty-six,” Benny said loudly enough for them to hear as he reached up to tap the pause button on his earbuds. They fell into startled silence, unaware he’d even been listening. “Maybe not as old as you fogeys, but I’m certainly no _child_.”

“Captain Blue.” The table fell silent; they hadn’t even noticed the Chief’s presence.

“Chief Security Officer Callaghan,” Benny shot back, turning his attention toward the other man. The Chief blinked at him for a moment.

“Ah. Just ‘Chief’ will suffice. Or Callaghan, when we’re off duty.”

“Only if you call me Benny,” he responded with a wink and a grin.

 _“Oh my stars is he actually flirting with the_ Chief _-”_

“Something I can help you with, Chief?”

“I finally got the chance to look over your records, and I must admit I am _remarkably_ impressed. I look forward to seeing you in action tomorrow.”

“Oh! Ah- thank you, sir! I’ll try not to disappoint!”

“I’m sure you won’t.” Benny could only stare as the Chief walked away. That was support he hadn’t been expecting. He was unable to contain a happy little wriggle as the others gaped at him in stunned silence.

“…What the hell did _you_ do to impress the _Chief?_ He’s _never_ impressed!”

Benny gave them his most devious grin. “Guess you’ll have to come watch tomorrow to find out.” He picked up his tray and dropped it off at the collection rack on his way out, skipping down the hall back to his cabin once he was out of their sight.


	3. Chapter 3

“Benny! Wait up!”

He paused, glancing back as one of the other pilots hurried after him. “Jenny, right?”

“Yeah!” She smiled at him. “I just wanted to say I thought you were really good out there today!”

Benny beamed at her. “Thanks!”

“And um… I wanted to apologize about last night. I’ve been feeling bad for not sticking up for you ever since.” He tilted his head. “Just because they’ve been here longer than us doesn’t mean they’re _better_ , they were newbies once too. And we got sent up here to be a team, we should start acting like one, don’t you think?”

Benny ducked his head. “It would be nice, having someone on my side for once.”

“Well you’ve got me now, and I’m sure I can convince the others easily enough.”

“Thanks, Jenny.”

She smirked. “I daresay you’ve got the Chief in your corner too, if last night was any indication. Shame you left when you did, I don’t think the senior pilots could wrap their heads around that whole exchange. Apparently that was rather out of character for him.”

“Huh… Interesting.”

“Come on, I don’t know about you, but I am _starving_.”

Benny gave a sheepish grin when his stomach chose that moment to grumble at him. “Guess I am too.”

~* *~

Two days later, they got to put their practice to the test. Benny had to take a moment to stare, stunned, at the sheer amount of black and gold ships that swarmed the station. Those weren’t aliens- those were _Blacktron_ ships.

The skirmish didn’t last long. What had pulled them away? Listening in on the radio chatter showed the other pilots to be just as confused as he was. He and his team were too new to space combat to have been _that_ much help, he was certain. He snorted to himself. Maybe the Blacktron fighters were too afraid to try flying with a bunch of novice space pilots on the loose to stick around for long.

“So I got a question,” Benny said the moment they were back in the hangar, staring the Chief down. “I could have sworn Blacktron got disbanded like a century ago, so what the _heck_ was _that?_ ”

“Officially they were,” the Chief sighed. “But there’ve been remnants that persisted. It’s only been recently that we’ve seen a resurgence.”

“Cary…?”

Benny blinked as the Chief responded to the name that had been called. “If you’ll excuse me, Captain,” he said before walking away. Benny watched as he approached a maintenance worker, judging by the bright orange they wore- a young man, younger even than Benny. He said something Benny couldn’t hear, a question that the Chief answered with only a shake of his head. The maintenance worker looked torn between disappointment and relief. The Chief put a hand on his shoulder, leaning in close to murmur something to him before sending him on his way.

Benny couldn’t help but wonder what that was about.


	4. Chapter 4

Benny lounged on one wing of his jet (the Chief had obliged and granted his request of the blue one), reading through the maintenance manual in attempt to get to know her better when he heard footsteps echoing through the hangar. He glanced toward the sound to see who it was, and was surprised to spot the maintenance worker from several days before. “You look lost, dude.”

The young man started and glanced up at him. “Oh! Not really. I was looking for you, actually.”

Benny tilted his head. “Me? Why?”

“Well, I- I talked to the rest of your team already.” He gave Benny an easy smile. Benny decided he liked that smile. It was honest and amiable and trustworthy. “I try to make a point of getting to know everyone here. You’re Benny, right?”

“That’s me!” the pilot chirped. “And your name?”

“Emmet. Uh. Emmet Brickowski.”

“Nice to meet you, Emmet Brickowski. Why don’t you pull up a wing? I promise Bluebird doesn’t bite.”

“You named your jet?”

“’Course I did, it’s bad luck not to.” He smiled and offered Emmet a hand when the maintenance worker struggled to climb up with him. “So I saw you when we got back from the fight the other day. You were waiting for the Chief?”

Emmet fidgeted. “That’s… the other reason I was looking for you, actually,” he admitted. Benny was all ears. “I have a favor to ask.”

“And what’s that?”

“If… When you’re out there, and you see a dark blue ship with bright green markings… Can you try not to shoot it down…?”

Benny frowned at him in confusion. “Why not?”

“Because… Because that’s my brother.”

Benny leaned back against the canopy, surprised. “You brother joined Blacktron?” Emmet nodded glumly. _“Why?”_

“It’s… a long story. Like, a _really_ long story. But I’m hoping I can convince him to give it up, to _come back_.”

Benny was silent as he mulled that over. He’d never heard of anyone who joined Blacktron that later defected; it just didn’t happen. Well, maybe things had changed between their disbanding and now. And he couldn’t blame Emmet for holding onto that hope- clearly he cared quite a bit for his brother. “Alright,” he said at length. “I’ll do my best not to turn him into stardust- but don’t think I’m going to just _let_ him shoot at me. I kind of enjoy living too.” Emmet gave him a grateful smile.

“No, I understand. And thank you.”


	5. Chapter 5

Two weeks passed. Benny spent most of his time flying his new spacejet, getting experience with it. When he wasn’t flying, he was often found in Emmet’s company. The pair had become fast friends, though Emmet still hadn’t really explained why his brother had joined Blacktron. Benny didn’t push; Emmet would likely tell him when he was ready.

Benny had also met the President of Octan in that time. He’d bumped into the older man during his down-time wanderings. Thankfully, Business seemed entirely unoffended. In fact, he’d seemed downright thrilled to meet Benny. “Captain Blue, is it?” he asked. Benny nodded numbly. Business gave him a grin. “It’s nice to finally meet you. Callaghan’s been telling me great things about you.”

“He- he has?” Benny was tickled by the news.

“Absolutely.” Business clapped his shoulder. “Glad to have you on board, Captain. We can use a pilot of your talents.”

Benny also tried to talk to the Chief as much as he could, which wasn’t nearly as often as he’d like. The Chief was a busy man. But he always seemed to set aside a few minutes of his day to speak with the young pilot. Benny wasn’t dumb, or deaf; he heard the muttering about the Chief ‘playing favorites’, but he ignored them. He was just thrilled that Chief Callaghan was giving him the time of day at all, unlike most of his previous superiors.

And then Blacktron returned. Benny was chomping at the bit to get out there and show off his improved flying skills, maybe take out a few Blacktron ships while he was at it, though he reminded himself of his promise not to do Emmet’s brother harm. “Have you been able to get ahold of him over the radio?”

“Not yet,” Emmet answered glumly. “I don’t know if it’s because they’re that encrypted, or if he just doesn’t want to answer…” After hearing that, Benny vowed to hack their comms. He’d get Emmet’s message to Rex, one way or another.

So far, though, he hadn’t seen a ship that fit the description Emmet had given him. They were all the standard Blacktron black with neon yellow markings- a truly hideous combination, Benny felt. Not at all like his beautiful blue and silver Bluebird, or the Chief’s sleek and striking black and white BC-01. He’d managed to nick a few of them already, the damage nothing immediately fatal but enough the pilots had to turn back before their ships were compromised further. He was surprised when the Chief came up to his side to start tag-teaming them with him.

And then he saw it- the dark blue and bright green fighter Emmet had told him about. Benny’s jaw dropped and he could only watch in awe at the elder Brickowski’s aerobatic skills. He suddenly felt he had a long way to go before he caught up to that kind of talent. Benny shook his head, coming back to himself. Right; he had Blacktron comms to hack. He plugged the little device he’d cobbled together into his console and let it do its work as he chased Rex around the Outpost. Benny grinned and whooped to himself as he started to pick up Blacktron radio chatter.

But before he could reach for his radio to hail the Rexcelsior, he had to jerk out of the way of a green laser blast, and could only watch in growing horror as it slammed into the Outpost’s outer plating. With a growl, he started firing again, berating himself for getting distracted. He wasn’t there to try to settle familial disputes; his job was to defend the Outpost, and he was slacking horribly at it.

But at least now he knew for certain his little device worked. He could give it to Emmet to try next time.


	6. Chapter 6

The base was chaos when they came back in, maintenance workers swarming about like angry hornets defending their nest. Benny had to suppress a snicker at the thought. He didn’t think anyone else would appreciate his sense of humor in that moment.

“Benny! Oh thank goodness,” he heard Emmet gasp, and turned his attention toward his friend.

“Emmet, is everything okay?”

Emmet opened his mouth to answer, then closed it again, hesitating for another few moments. “Uh. Well… You want the good news or the bad news first?”

Benny stared at him, getting a sinking feeling. “Gimme the good news, man.”

“Uh, well! Good news is the base wasn’t really compromised by the blast- it was designed to be able to lock down in sections to maintain atmosphere and uh. Everything else we need to live out here…” Benny smiled a bit. “And the damage isn’t as bad as we initially thought, we should have it repaired in like a week, once the supplies from home get here.”

“And the bad news?”

Emmet fidgeted. “It’s, um. It’s gonna be about three weeks before those supplies get here?”

“That’s not all, is it?”

“No,” Emmet admitted, the very picture of misery. “The blast hit the pilots’ quarters. Your stuff’s all gone.”

Benny closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. “Well that’s fantastic. At least I didn’t bring anything important… Anything else I should know?”

Emmet nodded. “Thankfully it’s only like four rooms that are currently uninhabitable, so we’re trying to find you and the other seven pilots someone else to room with, but…”

“Nobody wants me to bunk with them,” Benny finished for him, more amused than anything. Emmet gave him a startled look. “I’m well aware most people here think I’m weird or obnoxious. It’s nothing new to me.”

The maintenance worker wilted. “If I wasn’t already sharing with three other people myself, I’d offer my quarters in the meantime…”

“I appreciate the thought,” Benny told him, and meant it. “Though honestly I’m more worried about clothes. I can sleep just about anywhere, but I can’t wear these every day for the rest of my assignment here.” He gestured to the flight suit he was wearing.

“Yeah we did actually think of that. The quartermaster should be finding you before too much longer with a requisition form, you can have whatever you want shipped up here with our repair supplies.”

“And in the meantime?”

“We’ve got spare jumpsuits and extra undergarments and such. You know, in case accidents happen…”

Benny laughed. “I take it this is something that’s happened a lot?”

“Ah, well, you know, there’s a lot of really smart and creative and easily bored people up here and…” Emmet gave him a sheepish grin. “Pranks happen.” Benny laughed even harder.

~* *~

The Chief found him in the mess hall around supper time, poking distractedly at his meal. It was finally sinking in just how much he’d lost to that stray shot. He was glad that he had, at least, shoved his music player in his locker in the hangar just before the fight. At least he still had that. He glanced up at the shadow that fell over him. “Oh. Hey, Chief. Can I help you?”

“I heard about your bunking situation.”

Benny winced. “It’s alright man, I’m sure I’ll figure something out by lights out.”

“You still haven’t found anyone else to room with?” Benny sighed and shook his head.

“Really, it’s no big deal, if it comes down to it I can just steal a cot in the medical ward for the night-”

“I wouldn’t wish those cots even on Blacktron.” Benny snorted out a surprised laugh. “I’ve got room in my quarters.”

Benny stopped laughing and stared up at him, jaw nearly hitting the table. “…Are you serious?”

“Completely.”

Benny swallowed hard as he turned the offer over in his head. If Callaghan was the only person on board that had a bunk to spare, Benny certainly wasn’t going to turn him down. “Sure,” he finally agreed. “Sounds great.”


	7. Chapter 7

Benny watched closely as the Chief tapped in the code to his quarters, then stepped inside, freezing in the doorway.

There was no spare bunk. There was only one (rather large) bed.

“Blue?” Callaghan questioned. “Is something the matter?”

“There’s only one bed!” Benny blurted. “You made it sound like you had a spare bunk, not like we’d be _sharing a bed!_ ”

Callaghan hesitated. “There’s more than enough room for two people.”

“That’s _not the point_.” Benny hid his burning face in his hands. _Man Upstairs, why must you taunt me so?_

“…I apologize for the deception,” Callaghan said at length. “I didn’t even think to consider there might be an issue with it. I can try to see if there’s a spare bed anywhere else-”

“Nah, man, s’all cool,” Benny cut him off, rubbing at his face. “Just caught me off guard, is all. This is fine.” He took a deep breath and slowly let it out.

“Are you sure? You still seem uncomfortable with it.”

“Yeah I’m sure. I mean you’re right, it _is_ way more than enough room for two people. Probably won’t even realize the other’s there once we get settled in.”

“If you’d like to go ahead, then?” Benny blinked up at him. “I know my way around in the dark pretty well by now.” He smirked. Benny’s heart gave a strange flutter. “I promise I won’t peek.”

“Right then.” Callaghan turned his back, as promised, and Benny made his way to the side of the bed. “Uh. Which side do you usually sleep on?”

“Closer to the wall.”

“Gotcha.” Benny shimmied out of his flight suit, leaving himself in just a t-shirt and boxers, before crawling under the covers. The mattress was very comfortable. “Alright, I’m all tucked in,” he called out, earning himself a chuckle, and the lights flicked off. There was a minute of shuffling- the Chief shedding his uniform, Benny assumed- then the mattress shifted as Callaghan stretched out on it. Benny curled up closer to his side of the bed and closed his eyes, willing himself to forget he was sharing with another person, and to go to sleep.

~* *~

Benny was prodded awake early the next morning. He blinked blearily for a minute as his brain caught up to the fact he was conscious, then gasped sharply and jerked away once he realized he was practically wrapped around Callaghan. “Oh geez dude I am _so_ sorry I get cold easily and it’s like an instinctive thing to seek out heat and you’re really warm-”

“It’s alright,” Callaghan cut off his rambling, looking amused. “I thought that might be the case. Your hands were pretty cold.”

“Ohh my stars,” Benny whined, hiding his face in the blankets. _Caught cuddling my boss in my underwear, it can’t possibly get any more embarrassing than this-_ “It won’t happen again, I promise-”

“ _Ben_.” Benny stared at him. That was the first time Callaghan had called him by his first name. “I’m not going to fault you for something you did in your _sleep_.” Slowly Benny started to calm back down. Callaghan really didn’t seem the least bit bothered by it, and if he wasn’t going to make a big deal out of it, Benny decided he shouldn’t either. He nodded. “Now up and at ‘em, Captain. Breakfast is getting served soon.”


	8. Chapter 8

“So how was sharing quarters with the Chief last night?” Emmet teased as he sat across the table from Benny, his own breakfast tray in hand.

“Got around, did that?” Benny’s cheeks tinted. “I swear, this base is full of major-league gossipers.” He shrugged. “It was alright. About had a heart attack when I realized he does _not_ , in fact, have a spare bunk.” Emmet started laughing. “But the one bed he does have is freakin’ _huge_ , so. It was almost like having my own bed. Also.” He jabbed his fork in Emmet’s direction. “No fair teasing me when _you_ don’t have a crush I can return the favor on!” The maintenance worker only wriggled happily in his seat in response, and sipped his coffee. “Oh yeah. I have a thing for you, too.”

“A thing?” Emmet leaned forward, eager to see what it might be.

“Yeah, everything happened so fast I completely forgot about it last night, but I made this.” He handed the decryption device over. “Tested it during the firefight. Just plug it into whatever radio you use and it should patch you right into Blacktron’s channels.”

Emmet cradled the small device in his hands as if it was the most precious thing in the universe. “Thank you,” he said sincerely.

“Good luck, dude. I hope you can convince him.”

~* *~

Benny was grateful when the day finally ended and he could finally flop into bed. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d spent an entire day being so _bored_. There’d been nothing for him to do all day, and he’d had no one to talk to since breakfast. Even taking Bluebird out for a flight had lacked its usual appeal. If he could just sleep the next four weeks away that would be _fantastic_.

Sleep, however, evaded him that night. After half an hour of tossing and turning, he heard a sigh from the other side of the bed. “Are you alright over there, Blue?” the Chief grumbled at him.

“Sorry,” Benny mumbled, feeling bad for keeping the other from sleeping. “Restless, I guess. Can’t get my brain to shut down enough to sleep.”

“Anything I can do to help?”

Benny chewed his lip for a moment. “…Talk to me?” Callaghan’s voice, when he wasn’t being all growly and stern while on duty, was surprisingly soothing.

Silence stretched on for a while. Benny figured he must have surprised the Chief with his request. “About what?” Callaghan finally asked.

“I dunno.” Benny thought for a moment. “…Do you guys really have a super advanced AI up here?”

Callaghan huffed at the question. “Yes,” he said. “We do.”

“Is that what Blacktron’s after?”

“It is,” Callaghan sighed. “Before they started trying to raid us, they made demands that we turn the AI over to them. Obviously we weren’t going to agree to that.”

“How did they even find out about it? Did Rex have anything to do with that?”

“He had everything to do with it.” the Chief fell silent for a moment. “Rex was one of the finest security officers I’d ever had. I had thought… any brother of Emmet’s had to be trustworthy.” Benny smiled a bit at the statement. “So I promoted him, gave him access to some of our classified information. Not even a month later he left to join Blacktron, taking as much of that information with him as he could get away with. Blacktron really like their tech, so of course the AI is what they have the most interest in.”

“And because of that security breach, news of your AI even reached planetside,” Benny surmised. He closed his eyes. “Think I’ll ever get to meet it?”

Callaghan sounded amused when he answered. “I can’t make any guarantees, but so far I’d say the chances of that happening are pretty good. I’m sure they’d find someone like you fascinating.”

 _They_ , Benny thought as he finally started to drift off. _‘They’, not ‘it’. Interesting…_


	9. Chapter 9

Three weeks of relative peace, and then all hell broke loose. It seemed Blacktron had brought the entire fleet this time, in what Benny could only assume was a last ditch attempt to get their hands on the base’s AI. “Good luck, Benny!” Emmet called after the pilot as he raced down the hall. Benny turned around, skipping backwards a few steps, just long enough to shout “you too, man!” back to him before continuing on his way.

He took a deep breath to steady himself _. Just another dogfight_ , he told himself. _You can handle this._ He hopped into Bluebird’s cockpit and began the startup sequence. Within a minute he was tearing out of the hangar with the rest of his team.

Hundreds of Blacktron jets were swarming the station. Benny felt like he was going to throw up. He just hoped their skill made up for their lack in numbers, else this was going to end _very_ badly.

And then- _there_. There was the Rexcelsior again! And with the Chief on his tail, no less. Benny sent up a silent prayer to anyone that would listen that Emmet could get through to his brother. Perhaps it wouldn’t put an end to the Blacktron nuisance, but it would hamper them considerably to lose such a remarkable pilot.

Shields, why didn’t the base have shields?! Benny winced as he saw more than heard something on the station’s outer hull go _boom_. More damage to repair. He was too distracted after that, fending off Blacktron pilots that were shooting at him. A couple shots grazed his spacejet’s wings but didn’t do enough damage to force a retreat just yet. He sent more than a dozen running back to their base, though.

Benny pulled up sharply to avoid getting hit by friendly fire as Rex and Callaghan went tearing past. He almost ignored their fight, until he realized where Rex was heading.

For the hangar.

A brief flare of hope, and then- _“Benny!”_ Emmet’s frantic voice came over his radio. _“I tried to talk to him, he won’t listen, he cut me off-!”_

Benny allowed himself a brief round of swearing before flicking on his mic. “He’s headed for the hangar,” he told the maintenance worker. “Chief’s going after him.”

_“…Alone?”_

“You don’t think Chief can handle him?”

_“I… I’d love to say yes, I know Cary’s like amazing at fighting but Rex- Rex is a Master Breaker, Benny, he- he could-”_

“Say no more,” Benny interrupted. He didn’t need Emmet to explain it any further; he’d read enough horrific stories of what Master Breakers could do with a single punch. Callaghan didn’t deserve such a gruesome end. He switched channels. “Guys I’m giving the Chief some backup, Rex is inside the base.”

 _“Look, Benny, I know you’ve got a thing for him, but I think Chief can manage himself just fine-”_ Jenny started to tease.

“Emmet just told me Rex is a Master Breaker.”

Silence for a moment, then, _“Good luck,”_ Ken said. Benny wheeled around and dove back toward the base.

Rex and Callaghan were nowhere to be seen by the time he docked the jet. No matter; they couldn’t have gotten far. He raced out of the hangar to begin his search, only to slide to a stop when a light flickered blue to catch his attention. He stared at it. It faded from blue to its usual white then back to blue, and then jumped about ten feet down the hall. Benny could take the hint. He chased after it, the blue racing along the lights down the hall about ten feet in front of him, until he heard the sounds of fighting.

“You’re not stopping me this time, Callaghan, I’m getting that AI!”

“He’s too integrated into the Outpost’s systems, Rex, you can’t just walk off with him-!”

“Then I’ll just take what I can get.” Benny felt frozen solid when Rex pulled out a pistol and fired off two shots. Callaghan fell against the wall behind him with little more than a grunt. With an enraged shriek Benny finally launched himself forward, tackling Rex to the ground. The gun slid out of his reach. “What in the-”

“You _bastard!_ ” Benny snarled, fighting back tears. “What the hell did he ever do to you-”

“I’m alright, Ben.”

Stunned into silence, they both stared up at the Chief, watching as he probed at the holes in the left side of his chest.

“There’s _two_ of you?!” Rex gaped. Callaghan’s only response was to lift a brow at him, pull his own blaster from its holster and flick it to ‘stun’ before shooting the renegade pilot with it. Benny scrambled away just in time, only by some miracle managing to get his legs under himself again and back to his feet. Wordlessly, he cautiously approached the Chief, carefully touching a finger to one of the bullet wounds. Callaghan didn’t even flinch, only watched him warily.

Benny pulled his hand back to inspect the substance now smeared on his finger. It looked like blood at first glance, but there was a tell-tale shimmer to it that marked it as synthetic. “That’s what he meant…” He glanced back up to meet Callaghan’s wary stare, and slowly started to grin. “You know. I think that was the _hottest_ thing I’ve ever seen anyone do.” The wariness turned to surprise. “Can I kiss you?”

“You’d… actually _want_ to kiss a-”

“Dude,” Benny cut him off. “ _Dude_. I don’t care if you were built instead of born, you are very much _not_ ‘just a robot’.” He gave a sly smirk at the way Callaghan started to perk up again. “Offer still stands.”

Cary had barely reached for him before Benny had him pressed against the wall again, kissing him fervently. The pilot hummed happily as the Chief’s arms wrapped around him, clutching him close. Behind him, Rex groaned as he started to stir, and Cary shot him again, knocking him back out. Benny had to pull away to laugh, earning himself an annoyed huff. “Sorry, sorry, just- not a fan of interruptions, are you?” he giggled.

“…I suppose not.”

Benny struggled to get his snickering under control. “We should probably do something about him anyway.” He glanced at Cary’s injuries, and backtracked. “Actually, _I’ll_ do something about him. You should probably go get that looked at before it starts causing problems. Does it even hurt?”

“It did, at first,” he admitted. “I shut the nerve receptors off.”

“That’s handy.”

The Chief paused for a moment, tilting his head as if listening to something, then, “…sounds like your team has done something to turn the tide of the battle. Blacktron is retreating again. They must have assumed Rex was captured.”

Benny glanced down at the renegade in question. “Think he was leading them?”

“I believe so. They didn’t start to be a problem until after he left us.”

Benny nodded. “Think he’ll break out of cuffs?”

“Not unless he’s learned how to pick locks and has a pick hidden on him somewhere. Regardless, Alastar will be keeping several cameras on him.”

“Man, you’ve got a _lot_ of explaining to do,” Benny remarked as he hauled the unconscious elder Brickowski onto his back. “I’ll meet you back in your room?”

“…Our room?” Cary said hopefully, and Benny grinned.

“Our room. Yeah. Don’t make me wait too long.”


	10. Chapter 10

Rex wasn’t surprised to find himself trapped in a cell, when he finally rose to consciousness again. How could he have forgotten about that damned blaster? He scrubbed at his eyes and very carefully sat up. His hands were cuffed; he wasn’t going to be escaping that cell any time soon.

“I brought you some water.”

His gaze flicked up at the familiar voice. Emmet stood on the other side of the bars, holding a glass. Rex hesitated for a moment, then pushed himself to his feet, making his way to the bars to accept the offered drink. He chugged it down, sagging in relief when it eased the throbbing in his skull. Emmet only watched him, shuffling his weight from one foot to the other. The two brothers stood there staring at each other in silence for an uncomfortably long time.

“I’m glad you’re back,” Emmet finally broke the tension. Rex barked out an incredulous laugh.

“You say that like I had a choice in the matter.”

“Rex, I understand why you’re so mad at him-”

“The hell you do, you were just a baby when he left!”

“I saw what it’s been doing to you ever since though,” Emmet shot back, frowning at his brother. “But it wasn’t entirely his fault, and he _has_ been trying to make it up to us. And just because you’re being stubborn about it doesn’t mean you have to take it out on _innocent people_.”

“They’re not _people_ ,” Rex snarled. “They’re _machines_. He always did like machines better.”

“He did not and you _know_ it,” Emmet snapped. “Would you really feel better if he’d settled with another human, after Mom? Another _woman?_ Or are you just grasping at reasons to stay angry?” Rex scowled. “After _everything_ , he’s not pressing charges.”

“If he seriously thinks that’ll make me _forgive_ him-”

“He doesn’t.” Rex stilled at Emmet’s curt tone. “He still loves us Rex, he still loves _you_. That’s _never_ changed, not in twenty-two years, and if you can’t see that then that’s _your_ failing, not his.” Emmet drew in a shaky breath. “But after every attempt to reconnect with you has been met with _that_ attitude… He’s ready to give up on you. And honestly, so am I.”

Rex stared. “…You don’t mean that,” he ventured.

Emmet shrugged, not looking at him. “You ignored my every attempt to contact you for the past two years. I can only assume it’s what you _want_. And Dad’s only not pressing charges cause at this point, it’d be too much hassle.”

“ _Don’t call him that_ ,” Rex snarled. Emmet glared back at him.

“I want my dad in my life, Rex, and I’m not going to let _your_ hang-ups keep me from having that anymore.” He turned around and left after that. Rex could only stare wordlessly after him.

~* *~

Emmet paused when he turned a corner, only slightly surprised to see Cary standing there. “…How much of that did you hear?”

“All of it,” the security chief admitted. “Alastar told me you were going to see him, thought I’d come to provide backup if needed.” He smiled a bit. “We’d both like to thank you for defending our personhood.”

Emmet blushed faintly. “Well it’s truth…” He stepped forward, gratefully leaning into the embrace when Cary opened his arms to him. “I want my brother back too…” he sniffed.

“Give him time,” Cary murmured, rubbing his back. “It sounded like he was expecting you to always be in his corner, even despite his treatment of you these past couple years. I daresay you’ve given him something to think about. He might yet come around.”

“I hope so…” Emmet paused, finally noticing the holes in Cary’s uniform. “What happened?!”

“Ah… Rex did.”

“Are you okay?!”

“I’m fine, Emmet, I’m all patched up now. And if _you’re_ alright now, I’m going to go reassure Ben of the same.”

Emmet blinked as his words sank in, and slowly started to grin. “Yeah?” Cary shuffled in embarrassment. “You got yourself a boyfriend, didn’t you??” the maintenance worker gushed.

“…Maybe?”

Emmet laughed and hugged him tightly. “I’m happy for you!” He released his hold on the Chief. “Alright, I won’t keep you anymore. I’m sure Benny’s worrying himself silly about you. I’ll go find Dad.”

“You do that,” Cary murmured, and patted his shoulder.


	11. Chapter 11

Benny was lounging on the bed reading when Cary returned, looking quite comfortable in a brand-new t-shirt and lounge pants. He glanced up when he heard the door open, and set his book aside. “You okay?”

“Good as new,” Cary assured, and stepped closer. “I hope I didn’t worry you too much.”

“Maybe a little,” Benny admitted, reaching for him. Cary sat down next to him, and Benny immediately snuggled up to his side. “You gonna tell me about Alastar now?”

“I suppose I could,” Cary said, and Benny laughed at his teasing tone. “We were programmed together- not intentionally, we were supposed to just be one program, but something… glitched, and the developers wound up with two of us. I guess someone on the team felt sentimental and didn’t want to delete the copied file, so they decided to specialize us- me for physical security, and Alastar for cybersecurity.”

“Huh,” Benny said. “So you’re like twins?”

“I suppose that’s the closest equivalent,” Cary agreed. “Yes, he’s my twin.”

“And you said he’s integrated into the entire Outpost?” Cary nodded. “So he made the lights blue to lead me to you?” A beat, and then Cary nodded again. Benny tilted his head, noticing the pause. “You did that earlier, when you said my team drove off Blacktron. Do you two have like wi-fi communication?”

Cary chuckled. “Something like that, yes.”

“Are you integrated into the Outpost too? Is this like a remote-controlled body?”

Cary laughed outright as Benny began to poke him curiously. “No, no… All that I am is contained in this frame. Just like you.”

“That’s kinda cool.” Benny grinned. “So when do I get to meet him?”

“Probably in the morning. He’ll be quite occupied for the rest of the night. He’s been eager to meet you too, though.”

“Is that so?”

“He’s been hounding me almost incessantly about it since you got here,” Cary sighed. “I couldn’t… risk that. Not without knowing if I could really trust you, first. Not after Rex.”

“Well I’m glad I passed your test,” Benny said, giving him a reassuring smile. “So what’s he like?”

“Obnoxious.” Benny let out a startled laugh. “But… kind. Sweet, even, when he’s in the mood to be. Has no problem telling Sir no.”

Benny snickered. “Sounds like we’ll get along just fine, then.”

“I think you will too,” Cary agreed.

“You know,” Benny said, “I was mad at first, when Blacktron blew up my quarters, but looking back on it I think it was actually a lucky shot.”

“You know, I’m inclined to agree.” He looked down at Benny. “May I kiss you again?”

“ _Please_ ,” Benny purred, and pulled him close.


End file.
